Ceramic articles, such as tile, concrete, plaster, refractory articles and brick are difficult to engrave in a manner which produces an aesthetically pleasing and highly visible product. Because the compositions of ceramic articles do not lend themselves to precise engraving methods, production rates can be relatively low and/or the size of the engravings are forced to be relatively small. Efforts have been made to provide engraved brick utilizing laser beams and expensive, specialized laser beam generating equipment; however, these efforts have produced results which are not always aesthetically suitable, are highly reflective and as such, difficult to identify, are limited in size, and result in low production rates.